“No”, “Not right now”, “Not yet”, “It’s not a priority”, “Maybe some other time”, “Just send me information for now”. These are the common responses I usually get from my prospects every time I make calls.

In order for me to think of a solution on how to handle these objections, I’ve identified the reasons behind.

The 5 main factors why prospects object

Need

They just don’t need it! It’s as simple as that. You have to accept the fact that not all people are in need of what you’re offering. The good news is, it might not be right now. But, these prospects might need your product or service in the future.

Price

Companies have allocated budget per department per year. The truth is, every department is not allowed to exceed their budget. You can’t do anything about it if they find your product and service expensive.

Feature

Every prospect is different. Which means, not all of them are in need of the same thing.

Time

I hear this all the time with my prospects. You have to take note that you’re calling them during office hours. If you are busy making calls and talking to your prospects on the phone, they are busy too with their responsibilities at work. So don’t feel bad if they try to dismiss the call right away. Know the perfect timing in calling your Singaporean prospects.

Sales rep

Prospects hate telemarketer. To them, time is valuable. Prospects would only allow you to interrupt them in what they’re doing if you have something to say that makes sense to them.

My main goal whenever I make calls is to close the deal. However, I only want leads that I can find an opportunity. Someone who has issues and problems within their organization and they can find solutions from my product or service.

Here are my 5 follow up strategies on these 5 “NOs” from your prospects

#1) A “Not right now” from prospect because he doesn’t need it.

This is only temporary. Time will come that these prospects will encounter problems or issues within their organization and they can see the benefit they can get when they purchase your product. What to do?

Respect that they don’t need your product or service for now. Instead, offer information for future reference and ask for a timeframe,

“When is the best time for me to call you back and check if this is something you might be interested in?” or “When do you plan to consider this kind of product or service?”

#2) A “No” from prospects who think your product or service is too expensive.

Don’t regret it if prospects can’t afford your product or service. It only means one thing – they’re not the right prospect for you. Have confidence in your product or service. If you know you only provide quality products and services there’s no point of pushing through if they’re not willing to invest in your product or service. What to do?

Focus on the benefits of your product and service and highlight the benefits that they can get from you – high-quality tools and services.

3) An “It’s not a priority for now” from prospects who happen to be working on a different project at this time.

Ask your prospect, “What projects are they currently working on?”

For example, you are offering a disaster recovery solution and your prospect has recently added new employees and is currently working on purchasing new laptops.

Know every product or service that your company is offering. Even if you were asked to market a disaster recovery solution and encounter a prospect that is looking for a different product or service, you can definitely bring in new sales for the company if you push through with what your prospect needs as of the moment.

4) A “Just send me information for now” from prospects who don’t have time to talk when you call.

Respect your prospect’s time and they are more likely to listen to you the next time you call. When you encounter prospects who say they’re busy or is in a hurry to end up a call, for reasons such as, he’s in the middle of something or is on his way to a meeting, never continue with your spiel. Instead, hurry and end the call.

However, before thanking the prospect and end the call, don’t hesitate to ask, “When is the best time for me to call back?”

This line allows you to call your prospect when he is available to listen to you.

These questions allow your prospects to answer you directly and you’ll get what you’re aiming for. When your prospect asks a question, never disregard it and proceed with your spiel. Instead, address it right away. But what if you don’t know the answer to your prospect’s question?

Still, that doesn’t give you the right to disrespect your prospect. If you don’t know the answer, inform your prospect;

“I don’t have that information with me right now. What I can do is I’ll look into it after this call and I’ll get back with you. When is the best time for me to call back to inform you about it?”

I understand you’re excited to tell your prospects about how good your products and services. However, in sales, the focus should be on the needs and wants of your prospect.

Don’t feel bad whenever you hear a word “No” from your prospects. Find out the reasons why and use the follow-up strategy mentioned above on how to nurture your prospects until such time that they are ready to purchase and do business with you.

Korean and Taiwanese Drama, Local movies, TV series and game shows – all actors in the show need scripts to portray their roles well and be one with their characters. Same goes in telemarketing.

I’ve been a sales rep for more than 10 years. Whenever I do outbound calls, I use scripts as my guide to effectively deliver the message to my prospects. A structured call flow is important and scripts allow the sales reps (especially the inexperienced once) to say the right words and overcome objections.

There are 3 parts of the script.

Opening

It includes:

1.) Greeting

2.) Introduction

Introduce yourself

Introduce your company

3.) State the purpose of your call

Body

It includes:

Pre-qualify your prospects (Ask qualifying questions)

Present your product and services

Probe (if necessary)

Set the date of the appointment

Verify/gather prospect’s contact information

Closing

It includes:

Summary of the appointment date

Closing spiel

Here are some proven Appointment Setting, Call-to-invite and Data profiling scripts that I use when making calls for the following industries.

IT Services

Hi Andrew, good morning. My name is Amanda and I’m calling from XYZ Consulting.

We are an IT solutions provider. We provide computer support, network services, backup and disaster recovery, IT consulting, VoIP and phone solutions. I’d like to propose a quick conversation between you and one of our Executives to see how we can assist in reducing your operating costs.

Our colleagues would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you and discuss further this. Would you be free on (offer day, date and time of appointment)?

(If not, ask for prospect’s preferred date)

If I may ask,

How many computers do you have? (should be 10 and up)

Who do you call whenever you have computer problems?

What challenges are you currently facing with your existing setup?

Is there any area where you wish think might need improvements on?

Note: Jot down the answers.

We will send you information as well as a calendar invite. May I have your email address, please?

Hi Andrew, good morning. My name is Amanda and I’m calling from XYZ Consulting.

We are an IT consulting company and we will be doing one on one online conference for the whole month of August on how you can reduce your operating cost. I called because we would like to invite you or anyone from your team. Would you be available on be available on (offer day, date and time of the appointment).

(If not, ask for prospect’s preferred date)

In order for us to prepare on what to discuss during the conference. I would like to ask,

How many computers do you have? (should be 10 and up)

Who do you call whenever you have computer problems?

What challenges are you currently facing with your existing setup?

Is there any area where you wish think might need improvements on?

Note: Jot down the answers.

We would like to send you information as well as email invite, may I please have your email address?

Hi, good morning. This is Amanda with XYZ Consulting. Can you please transfer my call to your IT Manager?

(When asked about the purpose of the call)

We would like to send information to your IT manager about XYZ Consulting and how we can help reduce your operating cost. Can you transfer my call to him, please? Thank you.

(If not available, ask contact information of the IT Manager with the Receptionist)

Transferred to the IT Manager.

Hi, good morning. This is Amanda with XYZ Consulting. Am I speaking with the IT Manager?

(If yes, proceed)

Great! I’m with XYZ Consulting. We are an IT solutions and consulting company. I called because we would like to send information about our company and how we can help reduce your operating cost. May I please have your email address?

What’s your first and last name? So I can address the email properly.

What’s your specific job title for me to address you properly in the email?

Do you have a direct line or ext number?

Also, in order to know what information to send to you, if I may ask;

How many computers do you have? (should be 10 and up)

Who do you call whenever you have computer problems?

What challenges are you currently facing with your existing setup?

Is there any area where you wish think might need improvements on?

We will send the information to your email address. Thank you so much for your time. Have a great day!

Hi Andrew, good morning! This is Amanda with XYZ Company. I understand you are the best person to speak with regarding your working capital requirements accounts receivable?

(If no, ask)

Who’s the best person to speak with regarding your company’s working capital requirements accounts receivable?

(Take note of the information of the person in charge)

(If YES, proceed)

That’s great! You see, we’re a financial company and we specialize in trade finance for small to medium size businesses here in Singapore. We have helped companies improve their working capital position by providing early settlement of receivables enabling companies to generate cash quickly.

I’m calling to see if we could arrange a short meeting with our colleagues to discuss with you about this and how you could benefit from it?

(If YES, proceed)

Our colleagues would appreciate the opportunity of dropping by your office to discuss further your receivable financing. Would you be free on (offer day, date and time of appointment)?

(If not, ask for prospect’s preferred date)

If I may ask,

Do you provide credit terms to your customers? If yes, how long does it take for you to get paid?

Does the late payment of your receivables put a strain on your company’s finances?

Hi Andrew, good morning! This is Amanda with XYZ Company. I understand you are the best person to speak with regarding your working capital requirements accounts receivable?

(If no, ask)

Who’s the best person to speak with regarding your company’s working capital requirements accounts receivable?

(Take note of the information of the person in charge)

(If YES, proceed)

That’s great! You see, we’re a financial company and we specialize in trade finance for small to medium size businesses here in Singapore.

I called because we would like to invite you to our upcoming online conference about how to improve your working capital position by providing receivables financing to help your company generate cash quickly.

(If YES, proceed)

That’s great. Would you be free on (offer day,date and time of appointment)?

(If not, ask for prospect’s preferred date for a one on one presentation)

In order for us to prepare for the presentation, I’d like to know more about your company first. If I may ask,

Do you provide credit terms to your customers? If yes, how long does it take for you to get paid?

Does the late payment of your receivables put a strain on your company’s finances?

Hi Andrew, good morning. This is Amanda and I’m calling on behalf of XYZ Company. I understand you are the best person to speak with about branding and marketing strategy?

If yes, proceed.

I was hoping that you might have heard of our company before?

We are a global brand consultancy and we help companies create, grow and disrupt markets by integrating research, brand strategy, creative and digital. We have worked with companies such as Airbnb, Unilever, Alibaba Group, etc.

If I may ask,

Do you know if your digital marketing is working or not?

Do you have difficulties in measuring the effectiveness of your digital marketing?

Do you think your brand needs a boost in one of your markets but don’t know where the issue is or how to go about improving it?

My Director would appreciate an opportunity for a brief meeting with you for a further discussion about our branding solution and how we can help improve your branding and marketing scheme.

Would you be available on (day, date and time of appointment)?

(If not, ask for prospect’s preferred date for a one on one presentation)

(If yes, proceed)

We would like to send information about our company, may I have your email address, please?

Hi Andrew, good morning. This is Amanda and I’m calling on behalf of XYZ Company, an advertising agency. I called because we would like to invite you to a free online conference about branding strategy that we will be hosting on July 27, 2017. We have 1 in the morning at 9AM and another 1 at 2PM. Would you be available?

(If yes, proceed)

Great! What time would you prefer? In the morning or in the afternoon? (Take note)

We will be sending you a calendar invite, may I have your email address, please?

Hi, good morning! This is Amanda with XYZ Company. I’d like to speak with your Marketing Manager, please.

What is this regarding?

I’m calling about your branding and marketing strategy, is he available right now? Can you transfer my call please? Thank you.

With the Marketing Manager.

Hi Andrew, good morning. This is Amanda with XYZ Company. We are an advertising agency and we would like to send information to your email on how you can improve your digital and branding strategy. May I have your email address please? (Take note)

What’s your first and last name? So I can address the email properly.

What’s your specific job title for me to address you properly in the email?

Do you have a direct line or ext number?

By the way, if I may ask;

Do you know if your digital marketing is working or not?

Do you have difficulties in measuring the effectiveness of your digital marketing?

Do you think your brand needs a boost in one of your markets but don’t know where the issue is or how to go about improving it?

We will send you information. Thank you so much for your time. Have a great day.

Business Consulting Services (Strategic and Planning)

Hi Andrew, good morning. This is Amanda and I’m calling on behalf of ABC Company.I was hoping that you might have heard of our company before?

We are a global business consultancy and we offer free assessment for every startup companies. We have worked with different companies all over Singapore (you can mentioned some of your clients here) take better actions, make better decisions and produce greater outcome with less time and effort for our clients. Would you like to have a free assessment of your company?

(If yes, proceed)

Great! If I may ask,

What problems and challenges are you experiencing right now within your organization?

One of our consultants would appreciate an opportunity for a brief meeting to discuss how we can help your company solve these issues.

Would you be available on (day, date and time of appointment)?

(If not, ask for prospect’s preferred date for a one on one presentation)

(If yes, proceed)

We would like to send information about our company, may I have your email address, please?

Hi Andrew, good morning. This is Amanda and I’m calling on behalf of ABC Company.I was hoping that you might have heard of our company before?

We are a global business consultancy. We have worked with different companies all over Singapore (you can mentioned some of your clients here) take better actions, make better decisions and produce greater outcome with less time and effort for our clients. I called because we will be hosting a free online conference on how we can help your company grow and solve any challenges and issues that you might have within your organization. Would you be available on (day, date and time of appointment)

(If not, ask for prospect’s preferred date for a one on one presentation)

(If yes, proceed)

In order for us to know your company better and provide better solutions, I’d like to ask;

What problems and challenges are you experiencing right now within your organization?

We would like to send you information together with a calendar invite, may I have your email address, please?

Hi Andrew, good morning. This is Amanda and I’m calling on behalf of ABC Company.I was wondering if you’ve heard of our company before?

We are a global business consultancy. We have worked with different companies all over Singapore (you can mention some of your clients here) take better actions, make better decisions and produce a greater outcome with less time and effort for our clients. I called because we will like to send information about our company and the services that we offer.

May I have your email address, please? (Take note)

What’s your first and last name? So I can address the email properly.

What’s your specific job title for me to address you properly in the email?

Do you have a direct line or ext number?

In order for me to send the right information to send you, I’d like to ask;

What problems and challenges are you experiencing right now within your organization?

We will send you the information. Thank you for your time. Have a nice day!

It is a process to help sales reps develop their sales skills and deliver satisfying results. Coaching identifies the strengths and weaknesses of each member. Focus on individual strength in helping them improve their ability and skills, set goals, take actions and get better every day.

2 Ways of Coaching

Individual – one on one coaching between the Sales Manager and the sales rep

There are different types of salespeople – the newbie, the intermediate and the expert. As a sales manager, you only have one goal, to help your team become more effective in sales and deliver results.

TIP: Listen to their calls and make a list of all the things you see they could improve. However, don’t neglect their strengths, it’s one way of motivating them to know that they did something good.

What makes a movie script get spotlighted as best screenplay by award-giving bodies?

A script that presents a story that can move an audience to a certain emotional aspect, with scenes and characters that stimulate imagination, which translate into verbal or gestured reaction.

That’s how a Cold Calling Script should be.

When writing a campaign script, one has to take note of the campaign’s main objective. Whether you are to gather factual information for a lead generation campaign, to book a prospect for an appointment setting campaign, or register attendees for an upcoming event, your script must contain keywords and substantial ideas that would stir up the prospect’s interest, otherwise you’ll be putting all call efforts into waste.

KEYWORDS

Use words and phrases that will empower your script upon the prospect with trust and confidence:

Power words to express courtesy like “Please”, “Thank you”, “That’s good to know”

Terms from which industry your service/product belongs. If you are calling on behalf of a financial institution, choose words that are familiar to the prospect like loans, security & interest rate, annual turnover, etc.

Assuring words or phrases like”sure”, “no worries”, “you are right”, can boost the prospect’s morale and would feel that his opinions and ideas are accepted.

SUBSTANTIAL IDEAS

Meaty and persuasive. Your script must contain all the important information regarding your offering and how beneficial it would be for the prospect.

The branding carries your company’s identity which is your ticket to ride through the call

The purpose of the call is the key to grab the prospect’s attention. “I’m calling about a new software that could lessen manpower but multiply production at a lower cost” – position a benefit so that you could get hold of the prospect’s interest to discuss further.

Be keen to mention exact and correct details like a person’s name, company names and addresses, email information, phone numbers, rates and figures, date and time, product and service.

Campaign scripts differ.

Each campaign script is written based on the campaign type and its objective. The basic components may differ in formats depending on the person you speak with and campaign type.

Script Formats According to Person You Speak

With the Gatekeeper/Operator

With the Prospect/Decision Maker

Format #1: For The Gatekeeper/Operator

greeting

introduction

branding

purpose

contact information gathering

closing

Format #2: For the Prospect/Decision Maker

greeting

introduction

branding

purpose of the call

qualifying/probing questions

setting up of appointment/meeting

contact information gathering

closing

Script Formats According to Campaign Type

Scripts are customized depending on the campaign’s requirement or need and the essential components may vary or interchange in the order, for each campaign type. Below are sample telemarketing scripts from different types of campaign:

Lead Generation Campaign

A simple lead generation campaign may require just a few important information from the prospect and often would not have probing questions in terms of budget and need. Most of this type is purposed to send whitepaper, conduct a survey, or profile contacts.

An appointment setting campaign’s objective is to activate the prospect’s interest to know more about the product or service, and agree for an office or phone meeting for a more detailed discussion. Criteria is set to qualify the prospect’s interest by asking probing questions.

A call-to-Invite campaign script aims to gather attendees for an event. Event details, registration links and process are emphasized in the script. Get to know more about ourevents telemarketing services.

A campaign script serves as a guideline in order for the agent to deliver the spiel smoothly and confidently. It may be most of the time very technical, but telemarketers have to be innovative and creative in delivering the details based on the script, to keep a professionally trusting composure.

Takeaway: A cold-calling script must clearly and effectively describe who you are, your company, the product you offer and how it will benefit the prospect and his business. Keywords and ideas should be highlighted, that would leave the essentials in the prospect’s subconscious, translating their desire and interest into verbal or gestured reaction.

In over a decade of delivering multi-channel marketing programs, valuing our business means valuing our clients’ businesses even more, constantly pushing us to pursue increased productivity for both. We exert selfless effort in acquiring new knowledge and developing skills to be able to achieve the goals we set.

In this article, find out how Callbox created and employed a ‘5 second to 5 minute” calling process that generated over $350,000 additional revenue or a 40% increase in sales.

Goal

During the 2014 goal setting meeting, Callbox saw an increase in inbound traffic from different channels like Email, Calls, SEO, and Social Marketing, which required immediate action to cater to the sudden surge in inflow.

Aside from adding more members to the Calling Team to handle more inquiries, the team addressed the issue by further expediting the process of answering the customers’ queries and addressing any concerns they may have.

Thus, the “5 to 5 Rule” was created.

Process

The 5 to 5 Rule was, and is still an active calling process effectively employed by the team, in 3 easy steps:

Step1: All inquiries coming through the multiple channels including Inbound/Outbound Calls, Email Responses, SEO and Social Marketing were monitored real-time by the Response Team and checked within 5 seconds.

Step2: The Response Team transfers the inquiry to the Calling Team for further qualification, a process that takes anywhere within 1.5 to 2 minutes.

Step3: Once the query is deemed qualified, the Calling Team transfers the call to the Outside Sales Team to take the prospect’s requirements, and must be a subject for Sales Proposal, before the 5 minutes threshold lapses.

The shortest time that the inquiry is addressed, begets higher chance of converting the query to a Lead, to a Proposal, and to a Close.tweet this!

Once the Response Team receives the inquiry, it has to be checked through within 5 seconds for transfer to the Calling Team. This clearly requires that the Calling Team be ready at all times to take transfers and be able to qualify the inquiry within 1.5 to 2 minutes only. Once qualified, the OS Team is quick to take the transferred call and present Callbox’s products and services to the prospect in a period of 2 to 2.5 minutes.

Practically speaking, conversation between the prospect and the OS may go beyond the 5-minute period, but should only bear clarification of details, verification of contact information and setting of appointment for a follow-up call regarding the Sales Proposal.

Results

The team saw a spike in Leads, Proposal Rates and Closes.

Since inquiries were monitored real-time and quickly reviewed and qualified, the number of Leads increased, resulting to more sales proposals drafted and sent to prospects. As these proposals comprehensively present all the details of our products and services, the chance rates of closed sales also increased, while abandoned calls and emails significantly decreased.

The success of the “5 to 5 Rule” is a product of a willingness to innovate at a quick pace and see necessary changes through to the end of the process.

That’s a question every salesperson ask everyday. Sales professionals must make good impression in order to close a lead. And the first 30 seconds of their call is the most crucial because this is the part where they get the prospect’s attention and have them listen to what they’re about to offer.

The key to getting your prospect’s attention is, preparation. Many salesperson were unsuccessful because they’re not sure of what to say. To help you organize your pitch, prepare different rebuttals and address your prospects properly, I’ve divided your possible answers into 4 parts.

Problem statement.

This statement usually starts with, “I understand” or “I believe”

Example:

“I believe your company is in the market for a new accounting software to automate your accounting and bookkeeping.”

Benefits.

This is where you tell them about what they can get when they consider your company.

Example:

“Our solution will help your organization streamline your IT business process.”

CTA (Call to Action).

These statement encourages the prospect to discuss more about their needs and how you can help their organization.

Example:

“ I would like to arrange for one of my Consultants to contact you and discuss our services and any issues that you might have and how we can help your business. Would you be available on Friday, February 17 at 10AM?”

Here’s a common situation with 8 phrases that I normally use to get the prospects to listen and talk to me which leaves a good impression for my company. When greeting someone on the phone you must say your name clearly.

“Hi! This is Anna with XYZ company.”

Don’t ask, “How are you doing today?” Why? It shows lack of respect for your prospect’s time. Telemarketers must remember that whenever they call someone they’ve just interrupted the person they reached. What to do?

It’s best to sound business like. Be direct to the point. Tell them why you’re calling and make it quick.

“I’m calling because we’ve recently launched a solution which enables organization like yours to streamline their IT business process.”

Get a reason to continue the call. How? Probe! Ask questions from your prospect’s point of view.

“Are you currently using any cloud-based mobile document management solution?”

“What mobile solution are you currently using?”

“Do you know how much your company spends per year to manage your paper documents?”

Your goal here is to get to know their current setup and get them to listen and talk to you. Now that you have an idea about their issues within their organization, make a connection by saying showing empathy.

“I understand where you’re coming from. We can definitely help you with that. You see we are a certified Microsoft Gold Partner and we specialized in helping companies improve their IT business process.”

A salesperson or not, we all make mistakes. Unfortunately, when you mess up in sales (even if it’s unintentional) it will affect the entire business reputation. If you relay a wrong message to a prospect, it can cause blunders such as false promises and unsatisfactory results which can potentially damage trust and might lead to lost sales opportunities.

Here are 5 phrases to make it up with them and recover from a damaged deal.

#1: “I’m sorry”

Regardless if the mistake is unintentional or wasn’t really your fault, the relationship you’re trying to build between you and your prospect has gone wrong. Apologize and express a feeling of regret for the damaged done. Tip: Be quiet and Listen

Our first reaction when we make a mistake is to explain and make excuses. But in sales, the best thing to do when you have an irate prospect is to be quiet (especially if you’re the reason why they’re pissed off in the first place). Let them vent out their frustrations and make them feel that they are heard. It will somehow lighten up the situation. Here’s Why Listening is an Important Component in Telemarketing

#2: “I take full accountability for …”

If the mistake was your fault, make sure to take full responsibility for it. Don’t try to talk yourself out and make excuses. Be upfront and admit your mistakes.

#4: “How can I help and fix this?”

Every conflict needs a resolution. Fixing the problem helps maintain your credibility and a good relationship between you and your prospect. If you promise something to your prospect and not able to commit t your words, do whatever it takes to help and fix the issue to keep the relationship healthy.

A mistake doesn’t mean it’s the end of the deal, but if you have handled it in the wrong way, you may lose the sale and your customer’s loyalty. Use these phrases when dealing with irate prospects to make everything right.

How fast can you bounce back when you can’t find the right words to say during a sales call?

A bad sales call can turn into a nightmare and ruin a potential sale. You must know how to take proper precautions to be able to recover. Let’s admit it. Everyone will experience having a bad day regardless how good you are in what you’re doing. Don’t let it ruin your day! Instead, learn from it and move on. Bad experiences along the way can be turned into a positive learning.

Video transcript:

Just got off the phone with a prospect, and it didn’t quite go well? It’s okay to feel bad. Afterall, nobody wants to screw up at work.

But how do you get yourself back and recover from a shitty sales calls?

Get some distance

Get up and step away from your desk.

Take a 10 minute break.

Get a coffee.

Go outside and take some fresh air.

Reflect on what went wrong

Turn bad sales call into an opportunity

What could I have said better?

Could I have handled the situation differently?

How could I have responded?

Everyone can commit mistakes once in awhile. What matters is what you did after to recover. Be positive and turn it into a learning opportunity. Don’t let it affect your future performance.

How about you? How do you get back in the game after a bad sales call? Let us know! Comment below.

Should you keep calling a prospect or is it time to let go and move on to the next lead?

Let’s face it, 85% of organizations don’t make enough call attempts. Sales reps have an average of 1.7-2.1 attempts before giving up. Too many call attempts may lead to DNC which means you’re not making the most of your sales rep’s time. While too few call attempts lead to money waste.

Whether you like it or not, you will agree that cold calling is important in sales in order to find out if there’s an opportunity from them. The number of cold call attempt every sales reps should make varies depending on how they do cold calls.

Here’s how to determine if it’s worth pursuing or is it time to STOP calling unresponsive prospect.

1st Call Attempt

This can be considered as a negative call. What you can do to maximize your call?

Agent must gather the following information of the decision maker:

Email address

Complete Name

Correct Job Title

Direct Line/Ext. Number/ Mobile No.

Verify if you called the correct company

Verify the address of the company

Availability of the decision maker

TIP: You might consider sending an introductory email right after your call.

2nd Call Attempt

Calling the decision maker on his available time as mentioned by the gatekeeper

Situation:

Agent called and spoke with the gatekeeper. Decision maker is still not available to talk. This is another negative call. During this stage, most of the agents get discouraged. What to do for your sales rep to feel like he didn’t waste his time calling for this company?

TIP: Remember to mark your calendar or set an alarm to do a follow up call.

4th Call Attempt

During this call, agent must establish if there’s an opportunity with this company. How?

Ask questions and find out about their current set. What questions to ask to spot a sales-ready lead? Find out in this article.

How to determine if there’s an opportunity and that this company is worth pursuing?

If they have problems/challenges even if they can’t decide to commit for now.

If they have a provider but would still consider other providers

If they have upcoming projects.

If there’s anything that they would like to improve with their current setup.

5th Call Attempt

Close a sale

On this stage, the prospect expressed his interest and would like to discuss further on how your company can help their business.

However, if it didn’t turn out the way you wanted it to be because prospect mentioned that they are not interested or they don’t need any of your services as of the moment, offer to send information for future reference. This way, they have your files handy whenever they need something in the near future.

Situation:

Prospect: We’re not interested at this time.

Agent: I understand. How about if we send you more information for future reference. In case you might be doing something in the future, you have our files ready. Would that work for you?

Prospect: Sure.

Agent: I have here your email address, let me verify if this is correct. (verify the email address using phonetics to make sure you have the correct information)

Maximize every call before you decide to surrender for a lead. By doing these tips on all of your call attempts to find out if there’s an opportunity or not. This will make sales reps feel more accomplished even if the prospects says they’re not interested because you know that they don’t need it at this point and both you and the prospect can’t do anything about it.

Telemarketers are rampant not only in the US but also in Singapore and all over the world. Many Singaporeans don’t like getting telephone calls from telemarketers advertising different products and services. That is why some Singaporeans decided to register on Do Not Call (DNC) Registry which was officially launched in December 2013 to protect their data from annoying telemarketers disturbing them while they’re busy at work because their numbers will be excluded in a calling list.

According to CCAS (Contact Centre Association of Singapore) here are the telemarketing rules in Singapore that you should know.

Know when to call the right person at the right time.

Telemarketing calls must only be done on the hours mentioned above, except with the express prior consent of the called party. Reach the right person at the right time when there’s a higher chance of getting hold of your prospects and conversion rates are at its most optimal, leading to a higher percentage of success calls. And because of the restrictions, Callbox has to improvised a tool

Do not Call List

All prospects registered in a “Do Not Call” list must not be contacted and advertised of various products and services. When someone asked you to take them off your calling list, telemarketer must update and maintain his/her records on a regular basis. The prospect being placed on a “Do not call” list must remain on the list for at least a year. After which, telemarketers can call them again. However, when asked to be put on a “Do not call” list again, must be included in the list of companies who wishes not to receive any telemarketing calls.

“Telemarketers looking to promote their products or services to individuals with Singapore telephone numbers must abide by the DNC provisions. It is a frustrating experience for individuals who have registered their numbers with the DNC registry to continue receiving unsolicited telemarketing messages, and the PDPC will take enforcement action against those who continue to ignore the rules.”

All telemarketers must abide to these rules especially if your target area is within Singapore. Be considerate of your prospects time and respect them by providing information upon request of the party being called.

Telemarketers possess both the pride and pressure of the company they’re representing, that is why they need to be continually developed and coached. This is most notable in outsourced telemarketing and lead generation services companies wherein their agent workforce is the product itself.

These firms usually have a dedicate team leader, quality assurance analyst, and sales coach to make sure the standards of the company – as well as that of the clients – are met.

Most companies would conduct training because it is the best investments that you can make in your telesales team. Training means employee satisfaction and job performance. In order to bring out the best in your telesales team, you must follow up training with coaching. Constant coaching will help improve sales reps not only on the way they handle their calls but on how they will deliver their call as well.

But how does one really coach a telemarketer, knowing that each one is as unique as the other?

Monique Honaman, a partner at ISHR Group, shares in an article about how they created a coaching model called G.U.I.D.E. which stands for:

Ground

This step embodies the essence of engagement. It is all about establishing a relationship “beyond just business” between you and the person you are coaching. Understand what motivates your agent in terms of her values, her vision for the future and her goals. When doing this, start from familiar to unfamiliar. Find out what the agent knows and offer explanation of what he or she doesn’t know.

TIP: Let the agent participate. Don’t point out the bad habits first. Instead, help the agent feel relax by empathizing with him. The fact that you asked him to undergo coaching already means there are some areas that need improvement. Have the agent listen to his call. Let him participate and evaluate his own call and ask for his feedback. Barriers on effective coaching include the agent’s fear of appearing incompetent which might get defensive. Agent might not listen to your advice and will not apply it on his calls.

Understand

In this step, you and your agent gain mutual clarity on her intentions and vision, either for the short-term or long-term. Here’s where you will clarify those things that drive intentions and often serve to unknowingly confuse the issues and inhibit positive momentum. Create a positive environment. Be patient and give positive reinforcement to the agent.

TIP: Demonstrate the steps on how to do it. Let the agent understand and explain exactly what is being done and what has to be done. Allow agent to ask questions. Let the agent participate. Active participation is essential for instilling long-term learning.

Incite

This is where you are encouraged to foster multiple perspectives of the issue and various methods to address the topic being discussed. This is the “meat” of the coaching and the point at which you facilitate an exploration of opportunities and obstacles, while also analyzing various options. You will help your agent to evaluate the pros and cons of each opportunity.

TIP: Let the agent identify his/her mistakes. In coaching, don’t just focus on the bad part. Try acknowledging the good things he did on the call. From the tone of his voice to the way he/she delivers his/her call. Focusing only on the bad side will make the agent feel less enthusiastic about his job. Pointing out the good will help the agent boost his confidence because you don’t only acknowledge his/her mistakes, you also informed him/her that he did something good.

Decide

In this step, you facilitate your agent to make a conscious choice to achieve her vision by clearing the obstacles, confirming buy-in and guiding her toward the necessary next steps. Explain the relationship between what the agent is doing and on how it can affect the company he’s representing in terms of production and quality.

TIP:Conduct a role play with different situations to find out if the agent understands and if he’s ready to apply what he learned. Show the agent on how to handle different situations through role play to prepare him on his next calls.

Encourage and Execute

As a final step, your role is to motivate your agent to move forward on the commitments she has made. Your role is to build confidence, provide encouragement, drive accountability and generally act as a champion to ensure that the positive momentum and the desired outcome are achieved.

TIP:Follow up and evaluate new learning. Check on the agent’s progress to demonstrate your availability to correct and address questions and to discover any new problems.

Coaching helps everyone on the sales team because it gives less experienced reps the confidence they need to do better. It develops employee talent as it teaches agents how they can be most productive. By coaching you are preparing them for their own battle with common phone obstacles. The best way to do this is to create an environment – and motivation – for them to be the best they can be.

When you’re in the business that requires you to make sales pitches at people, or at least, get them ready to buy from a company (your client), you need to be ready for someridiculous reactions. Why? Because we’re talking about using people’s time for something that they have yet to benefit from. Besides, nobody owes you anything, so don’t expect anyone to say “Yes” just because you want them to. Simply put, people are entitled to react negatively.

While the worst case scenario would be your prospect getting all ballistic, there are cases that are not so bad. So let us first categorize the kinds of prospects you will face and how best to handle them.

Scenario #1: Your prospect is BUSY and STRESSED

Picture this: The prospect is right in the middle of something that is not only important, but urgent. She is under a deadline for a report her boss needs within the hour. She is frantically trying to collect the numbers, and is waiting for a call from logistics. Yours comes in, she dives for the handset, and her balloon is burst when she realizes you are not Brad, the logistics guy.

Response:

Open with a startling statement that’s both true and relevant. Ask if you’ve interrupted something important (rhetorical) and offer to call back if you have.

What to say:

“I know my call couldn’t have come at a worse time, but…”

“I am so sorry for catching you at a terrible/very inconvenient time. Can I get back to you later?”

“This is obviously not the best time to call. Can I call you again later today?”

“I wish I could help you there. I guess the least I could do is call you some other time.”

Or you can send the prospect this message instead:

“I have the feeling I called you at a bad time the other day. I apologize. The purpose for my call was to run an idea by you that could potentially help you to (fill in the blank with some result they would be interested in). I’d like to ask you a few questions to determine if we have the basis for a conversation. I will call you again on Friday, or you can reach me at (your office number), and my email is….”

Scenario #2: Your prospect is INTERRUPTED

Perhaps he’s in a meeting in his office with his team, one of the members is making an important point, and then, riiiiiiing, riiiiiing… here comes a call. He could ignore it, but instead winks at his audience with a “Watch this” look, and demonstrates how forcefully he can swat away pesky salespeople like you. You don’t know what hit you.

Response:

Ask if it’s more convenient to call back at another time. Apologize for interrupting. State a compelling reason for interrupting.

What to say:

“I’m sorry for interrupting, but I thought you’d benefit from this offer as this is only open for today.”

“A very interesting offer just came up and I thought about how it will benefit your company, so I didn’t wait a second and called you. But since it appears that you’re busy, may I know when I can call you back?”

“Look, I understand how you feel. I’d feel the same way, too, if I were in your shoes. But at least consider what I am going offer.

“I thought you’d like to avail of our limited-time-only offer, hence the call. I can run you through this now very quickly, or shall I call you later?

“I’d understand if you think I’m rude, but I wouldn’t forgive myself if this opportunity passes without you knowing about it…”

Scenario #3: Your prospect is DISINTERESTED

Your prospect has had a long day. He barely managed to beat the deadline and was halfway through his little prayer, thanking the heavens he’ll be out in 15 minutes. He knocks on wood after whispering “no more calls today, please”. Then you called. So your prospect speaks in a monotone, normal or quiet voice. The greeting is a standardized answering phrase, such as “Marketing Department, can I help you?” Prospects inundated with calls often show such disinterest.

Response:

Drop the name of someone else in the prospect’s company who referred you to him or also uses your services. Show interest in his company or industry.

What to say:

“Hey, Joe! Rex from admin told me you’re the best guy to talk to about this, so…”

“Joe, I hear managers in your industry are being swamped with new orders! Let me help you with that…”

“Hi, Joe! Brad from Finance, my roommate in college, told me you just got promoted to head of marketing. I thought you’d like to at least hear my proposal…”

“I didn’t want to bother you with this, knowing how many calls you receive each day, but I know this one call will make a difference. You have a minute?”

“As the new head of Sales, I heard from your former boss, who happens to be a golf buddy, that you were responsible for the positive jump in your revenues after just three months. I have reason to believe that our new software will help you boost sales even more…”

Scenario #4: Your prospect is APATHETIC

Your prospect doesn’t care anymore. About anything. He could be an employee who’s had seen better days, something with an axe to grind against the boss or the company in general. Or possibly he is just immersed in one of the ten thousand distractions all of us are faced with every day, any of which is perceived as more important than the call coming in at that very moment.

A monotone voice, non-committal verbage and audible sighs are all signs of apathy. Typical phrases are one- or two-word impersonal greetings, like “Marketing” or “Personnel Department.”

Response:

Ask for your prospect’s help and draw him or her out with open-ended questions about the company, products or personnel. Your voice tone should impart motivation.

Ultimately, your best response depends on the needs of the prospect. Think about what your product or service offers the customer. Does it save time? Reduce stress? Use the benefits of your product to match your prospect’s state of mind.

To gain an edge over the competition, listen for the verbal clues that will make your prospect glad you called.

“Ms. Jones, you sound a little hurried. Would you be interested in hearing about a way to manage your time that has given many executives, like yourself, hundreds of extra hours every year?”

“Ms. Jones, it’s Vivi from Callbox. I know we’ve never spoken before, but I’ve got something that can be helpful to you.”

“I’ve spoken with your guys from I.T., and the general consensus after your meeting was that, a new software might make work more efficient and save you big bucks. If you have a couple of minutes, I’ll tell you how it can help…”

“I can tell you’re in dire need of a solution to that problem that’s been hampering your company’s full growth potential. If I tell you I have it, will you give me a couple of minutes to explain?”

“Almost all the companies I’ve had talks with share the same opinion about the system. Fortunately, we’ve found the breakthrough and I’m excited to share it with you first.”

Scenario #5: Your prospect is ANGRY

Consider that it could be one of those days for your prospect that we’ve all had. The kids were being bratty, the unusually bad traffic made her a bit late, two employees she was counting on for input on a project called in sick, and she is dreading having to attend a meeting that she has no idea why she is included in. Her email inbox is overflowing, half of them needing urgent replies, she was just handed the disappointing numbers from the previous day that she will have to explain to the boss, and she realizes she just left her wallet will the cards and cash home.

Your call comes in. Your prospect answers with short bursts of loud speech like “Yes?” or “What is it?” or “It had better be good”, which tell you that your prospect is angry. The anger may be directed at you, your company or, more likely, another source.

Response: Be soothing

And be unfailingly polite. If you know your prospect well, ask if he’s having a bad day and offer sympathy. If you don’t, offer to call back at a time of his choosing. Do not attempt to present your ideas unless invited to do so, and then keep it brief.

“I can sense you’re having a really bad day. I hope things get better. I can call you then.”

Ma’am, I am really sorry you’re having a terrible day. I don’t know if this makes you feel better, but I’m having a rough start to my day myself. Now let me turn your day around by what I have to offer…”

“You sound a bit angry and I’m sure I’d be too if I were in your place. I’m terribly sorry for that and I’m sure we could turn this around in a jiffy..”

“You know, if I felt the way you do, I would take my business down the street too, but here’s the thing, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure not only that you stay with us but that when you walk out this door today you are looking forward to coming back to see us. Now, let me ask you a question…

But if all else fails…

“I think a different company may be a better fit for you. Thank you for your time.”

Remember, walking away is not giving up. It means you’ve been rational enough to know that forcing it might do more harm than good.

About Us

Founded in 2004, Callbox has evolved into a specialist provider of Multi-Touch Multi-Channel Marketing solutions for businesses and organizations worldwide. Its core competencies include Lead Generation, Appointment Setting, Lead Nurturing and Database Services, delivered through its proprietary marketing automation platform, the Callbox Pipeline.

Callbox enables companies gain a foothold in their priority markets by initiating conversations with decision makers through the efficient and intelligent use of targeted touchpoints over six channels: voice, email, social, chat, website and mobile.